Article: Twins Minor League Report (8/14): Kranson's Walk-Off Miracle

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Monday was an off day for the Twins as they return home to begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday. Sports writers sometimes use the “most important week of the season” hyperbole when talking about a week such as the one upcoming, but in this instance - despite these games not counting for anything extra - it might actually be true. At least until next week’s road trip. And the following week’s three-game set before the August waiver trade deadline.

 

You see, it will be sometime during this timespan that the front office will have to decide the “pretender vs contender” debate.

 

But until we know exactly, we will enjoy the ride. And when that ride takes a day off - like it did on Monday - we’ll enjoy the next best thing: The Twins minor league system.

 

On Monday, Eddie Rosario was named American League Player of the Week. Rosario batted .444 with 12 hits, nine RBI, three double and four home runs. Brent Rooker (.364/.417/.818) was also named Florida State Hitter of the Week. He hit three three-run home runs. Not a bad week for those two outfielders.

 

Read about Monday’s action below.RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester - OFF DAY

 

At 69-52, the Red Wings are all square with Lehigh Valley in the International League Wild Card race, though the two teams will not face each other over the final 21 games on the season. The Red Wings will face the best team in the league, Scranton/WB, eight times though, so their path to the playoffs is not going to be a cakewalk.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga 9, Birmingham 0

Box Score

 

All nine batters in the lineup contributed at least one hit. Seven of the nine scored runs and six of the nine drove in runs.

 

But Nick Gordon was clearly the star of the game and had, arguably, the best offensive showing of any Twins farmhand this season. In six at-bats, Gordon collected three singles, a double and a triple for five hits. He scored three runs and drove in two. His batting average climbed eight points to .288.

 

Brian Navarreto was 3-5. LaMonte Wade, Andy Wilkins, Ryan Walker and Edgar Corcino all had two hits. One of Corcino’s was a triple. Jonathan Rodriguez hit his 16th home run. He had three RBI.

 

The bullpen - in a bullpen game - pitched a shutout. D.J. Baxendale pitched the first three frames, followed by Glen Perkins. Perkins threw 21 pitches (11 strikes) on his way to a hitless, one-walk, two-strikeout performance.

 

Yohan Pino earned the win with three innings of two-hit ball. He struck out four. Nick Anderson and Gabriel Moya each pitched a scoreless frame.

 

The Lookouts are 35-15 in the second half and 77-43 overall. They will have a charging Montgomery team to fend off.

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 5

Box Score

 

Mitchell Kranson was the Miracle Hero on Monday night. Summoned to hit for Tanner English with the bases load and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Kranson promptly drove in the tying and winning runs, giving the Miracle a walk-off victory.

 

 

Until that point, the Miracle had scattered hits, but failed to do a lot of damage. Sean Miller, Zander Wiel and Brian Olson all had two hits. Brandon Lopez had a triple and drove in two runs. Brent Rooker went hitless, but walked three times and struck out in his only official at-bat.

 

Lewis Thorpe pitched six innings and did OK. He gave up two runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out three and was in line for the win.

 

Andrew Vasquez blew his save chance, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk in two innings.

 

Alex Robinson worked a scoreless frame and was the pitcher of record when Kranson provided his heroics, earning the win.

 

At 23-18, the Miracle are on a six-game winning streak and have pushed their lead to five games in the FSL South.

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 2

Box Score

 

Royce Lewis continued to hit the ball really well in full-season ball, collecting two more hits (but seeing his average fall to .538) and driving in a run, but it wasn’t enough. He also committed his first error as a Kernel.

 

Caleb Hamilton and Shane Carrier provided the only other hits. Aaron Whitefield stole his 28th base of the season.

 

Tyler Beardsley pitched five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out five. Logan Lombana also struck out five, in three scoreless innings.

 

The Kernels are 23-27 in the second half, but have already clinched a playoff spot by way of finishing as division runners-up in the first half. They are slated to face Kane County in a three-game set. Kane County will have home-field advantage.

 

E-TWINS E-NOTES

Elizabethton 8, Johnson City 5

Box Score

 

In a game delayed by over two and a half hours, the E-Twins were able to take an early lead and hang on.

 

Wander Javier paced the offense with three hits. T.J. Dixon, Carson Crites and Matt Albanese all had two-hit games. Albanese’s seventh inning home run was their lone extra-base hit of the game.

 

Nick Brown and Jared Finkel piggybacked Monday’s game. Brown took the first 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out five. Finkel picked up the win, tossing 4.2 one-run (unearned) innings allowing only two hits while striking out four.

 

The E-Twins are 31-21 with a 2.5 game lead over Johnson City.

 

GCL TWINS TAKES

GCL Twins 2, GCL Ray 10

Box Score

 

Chris Heston, who has made 41 big-league appearances and threw a no-hitter against the Mets two years ago, got roughed up by a bunch of 18-year-olds. In five innings, he gave up three runs on seven hits. He struck out five.

 

Michael Kohn, who’s also rehabbing his way back, pitched a scoreless frame.

 

Petru Balan put on four batters and three came around to score. He recorded only one out. David Geric also gave up three runs. He got through a whole inning, but walked four. Taylor Clemensia walked three, threw three wild pitches and recorded five outs.

 

Jean Carlos Arias drove in Emmanuel Morel, who doubled to start the game, and then scored himself, but that was it for runs. Jared Akins had the only other two hits of the game.

 

The GCL Twins, in the midst of a cold spell, are 24-19.

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Pitcher of the Day – Jared Finkel, Elizabethton

Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Chattanooga

 

TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Rochester at Columbus (6:05 CST) - TBA

Fort Myers vs Lakeland (6:05 CST) - TBA

Cedar Rapids at Burlington (6:30 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (1-0, 3.38 ERA)

Elizabethton at Johnson City (10:30 AM CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (3-3, 2.54 ERA)

GCL Twins at GCL Rays (11:00 AM CST) - TBA

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games.

 

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[bluechipper]

Good to see Nick Gordon get back on track these past few games. He had been struggling some the last month or so.